The original name for this Romanian courgette souffle recipe is “Sufleu de Dovlecei”. It is a Romanian classic dish that I often enjoyed during the summer holidays, made by my grandma. I always loved the creamy texture of this dish and its delicious cheesy, garlicky taste.
My grandma used a lot of cheese in this beautiful courgette souffle, making it so indulgent yet remarkably light at the same time. This is why this recipe is such a treasure! Besides its delicious taste, this recipe is also vegetarian, and therefore also a fine dish for non meat eaters.
The courgette souffle makes a wonderful lunch or a light dinner.
The Ingredients for the Romanian Courgette Souffle
The main ingredients for this Romanian courgette souffle recipe are courgettes, Romanian Cascaval cheese, milk, butter, eggs, flour, garlic, and dill. I used one large courgette from the garden, which had actually grown too big and then became a marrow. For this reason I chose to grate it rather than cut it in small pieces, as the skin had become too thick.
Note; The black pepper elevates the taste of this souffle, don’t skip it. Optionally, you can also add some grated nutmeg.
How to Make the Romanian Courgette Souffle Recipe
The first step in making this Romanian souffle is removing as much water as possible from the courgettes. To do this you have to first cut or grate them, and salt them well. I left mine in a colander on top of a bowl to drain, until I was ready to use them.
The base of this Romanian courgette souffle is a classic Mornay sauce, made from combining flour, butter, milk, cheese and egg yolks. It is a variation of the Bechamel sauce. Don’t worry, it is very easy to make, all you need is a little patience.
On a very low heat melt 50 gr of butter, then add the flour. Fry for one minute, then mix together until you have a very thick, dough-like mixture. Start adding the milk, a little at a time, mixing well. By the time you finish the milk you will have achieved a wonderful, glossy, white sauce. Let it cool down for 10 minutes, before adding the egg yolks and ¾ of the cheese.
Next, I drained the courgettes and squeezed them well in my hands, to remove as much water as possible. I then added the drained courgettes to the mix. I incorporated it well, then added the last of the ingredients: minced garlic, black pepper, and chopped dill.
Next, I whisked the egg whites with a pinch of salt, until stiff. This is what will help the courgette souffle rise in the oven. I gently folded the whisked egg whites in the mixture, then transferred to a Pyrex tray greased with butter and dusted with breadcrumbs. I topped with more grated cheese, flakes of butter, and baked at 180 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.
You can serve the souffle either hot or cold. Whilst when I took it out of the oven it had beautifully risen, after 5 minutes or so it deflated a little, which is normal. So, if you want to impress your guests with this souffle, be sure to bring it to the table as soon as you get it out of the oven.
Notes and Tips:
- It doesn’t matter how you choose to cut the courgette. Growing up, my grandma used to make it with chopped courgettes. Later on, I noticed that other people were making it with grated courgettes. I still prefer how my grandma made it, even though when I took the photos for this recipe I grated it.
- If you can’t find Cascaval cheese (though it is stocked more and more by all the major supermarkets in the Polish section), you can replace it with a mix of Gouda and Emmentaler.
Romanian Courgette Souffle Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large courgette 700 grams
- 250 gr Cascaval cheese or Gouda and Emmentaler cheese mix
- 500 ml milk
- 100 gr butter
- 50 gr flour
- 4 eggs
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1-2 tbsp pepper
- breadcrumbs
- dill to taste
- salt
- nutmeg optional, to taste
Instructions
- Grate or cut the courgette, put in a colander above a bowl, and sprinkle generously with salt.
- Prepare a Pyrex glass tray by greasing it with butter and dust it with breadcrumbs.
- Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
- Separate the eggs into whites and yolks.
- Start by making the Mornay sauce. Heat 50 grams of butter in a small pan.
- When the butter is melted, add the flour.
- Fry for a little bit, and start mixing. You will end up with a dough-like mixture.
- Start adding milk, little by little, hydrating the flour and butter.
- The more milk you add, the more loose the dough will become.
- When the milk is finished, you should have a very creamy sauce.
- Take the pan off the heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes.
- Add the egg yolks and ¾ of the cheese to the mix, and incorporate well.
- Drain the courgettes and squeeze them in your hands, to remove the water excess. Then add them to the mix.
- Add the ground pepper, minced garlic, and the dill, and mix well. You should have a thick but creamy batter.
- In a mixer, whisk the egg whites with a little bit of salt until stiff. Then fold it gently into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared Pyrex tray, top with the rest of the cheese and butter cut in flakes, and bake for 35-45 minutes. You will notice the souffle will rise considerably in the oven.
- Enjoy hot or cold.
FAQ:
Do you eat the courgette souffle hot or cold?
You can enjoy the Romanian courgette souffle both hot or cold. I usually make an entire tray, so I have some for dinner, and the rest for lunch the following day.
How to store the Romanian courgette souffle?
You can store the remaining courgette souffle in the tray you have made it, covered with cling film, in the fridge. Alternatively, you can cut slices and store them in a plastic container, in the fridge.
For more similar traditional Romanian recipes, check out my recommendations below:
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